Umbrella-style hat



Feb. 13, 1962 s. s. TAYLOR UMBRELLA-STYLE HAT Filed April 18, 1958 TAYLOR INVENTOR. SAMUEL s.

ATTORNEYS Uited States Patent() 3,020,555 UMBRELLA-STYLE HAT Samuel S. Taylor, 2.33 S. Main St., Salt Lake City, Utah Filed Apr. 18, 1958, Ser. No. 729,453

5 Claims. (Cl. 2-1'77) This inven-tion relates to headgear and particularly to hats of umbrella style.

Hats possessing rigid ribs radiating from a central hub and capable of being opened to wearing condition from a collapsed, carrying condition are well known. The

present invention is concerned with providing structural and functional improvements in such hats.

Principal objects of the invention are to provide an umbrella-style hat that will open automatically Vfrom the collapsed, yclosed position; to provide actuating mechanism for the opening operation that is simple in construction and economical to produce; to provide a becoming and intriguing style effect in a simple and inexpensive manner; and to provide for firmly securing the hat in place while being worn.

In accomplishing these objects, I pivotally attach the several ribs to a hub `disk adjacent to but not at corresponding ends thereof, so that end portions of such ribs, which are canted toward the hub center, extend as from one face of the disk into the line of action of a springactuated ferrule simulating an umbrella tip. Such ferrule exerts yieldable pressure against the lever arms and normally holds the ribs in extended position corresponding to the open and wearable condition of the hat. I also configurate the several ribs to provide an attractive contour for the hat when opened for wearing, and provide a chin strap arrangement which anchors the hat to the head most effectively when being worn and secures the ribs together in collapsed condition against the urge of the spring-actuated ferrule for carrying purposes when the hat is not being worn.

Further objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the particular preferred embodiment illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing: v i

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of the hat being worn;

FIG. 2, a perspective view looking into the fully opened hat of FIG. l prior to its being placed on the head, so as to show the chin strap arrangement and the way the circumferential margin of the cover fabric is attached to the rib extremities;

FIG. 3, a fragmentary, vertical section taken centrally through the hub and upper portion of the hat of FIG. 1 in its open and wearable position, the view being drawn to a considerably enlarged scale; and

FIG. 4, a View corresponding to that of FIG. 3, but showing the various parts in the collapsed position of the hat.

Referring to the drawing:

In the particular embodiment illustrated, a plurali-ty of rigidly formed ribs of some lightweight material, such as aluminum, preformed to an appropriate contour, as shown, are pivoted adjacent to, but not at, corresponding ends thereof to a hub disk 11, circumferentially of the latter, so as to radiate therefrom when extended in the open position of the hat.

The hub disk 11 is notched at regular intervals about its circumference, as at 11a, FIG. 4, to receive the repective ribs 10, and the fingers 12 defined by and between such notches 11a are bent upwardly about a ring 13 on which the ribs I@ are threaded for pivotal movement. Thus, thelseveral ribs are securely fastened to hub disk 11 in predetermined, mutually spaced positions, and are swingable upwardly and downwardly relative thereto.

The end portions 10a of the respective ribs 1.0 at the aforesaid corresponding ends thereof, are canted toward the center or the hub to prov-ide, in effect, short lever arms of respective bell cranks represented by the cornplete ribs. As such, these end portions lila project from one face of the hub disk 11 into the line of action of a spring-urged ferrule 14 simulating an umbrella tip.

The hub disk 11 is centrally apertured to receive, in a secure press fit, a headed stud 15 whose threaded shank 15a extends into the ferrule 14.

Ferrule 14 comprises a base 16 of Idisk formation having a down-turned circumferential flange 16a and an upstanding annular wall 1Gb over which is tightly fitted and securely cemented an elongate dome piece 17. Such base and dome piece of the ferrule are advantageously molded from a rigid plastic material.

The threaded shank 15a of stud 15 extends slidably through a receiving aperture provided centrally of ferrule base 16, being received within and under dome piece 17. Screwed onto the end of threaded shank 15a is a nut 18, and compressed between ferrule base 16 and nut 1S is a coil spring 19. The extent to which nut 18 is screwed onto the threaded shank 15a determines the force exerted by spring 19 in automatically extending the ribs 10 radially with respect to the hub.

A washer 20, having a down-turned circumferential ange 20a is positioned on stud 15 above the projecting end portions 10a of the ribs, and between such washer 20 and the under-surface of ferrule base 16 is interposed a piece of protective fabric 21 and a circular, fabric cov-A It will be seen from FIG. 3 that spring 19 normallyv pushes ferrule 14 downwardly against lever arm portions 10a of the ribs 10, forcing them outwardly and maintaining the hat in open condition ready for wearing as well as while being worn.

When thel hat is removed from the head, it may be collapsed for carrying and storage by holding the ferrule 14 with one hand, encircling the ribs 10 with the fingers of the other hand immediately below the ferrule and sliding the closed hand down the length of the ribs, whereby the hat is brought into closed condition, as shown in FIG. 4, against the urging of spring '19.

In order to both provide for holding the hat on the4 head while being worn and retaining the collapsed hat in closed condition, a chin strap arrangement is provided. This preferably comprises a strap 25 having one end clamped to a rib l10 at one side of the hat by a metal clip 26, and a second strap 27 having an end clamped to a rib 10 at the opposite side of the hat by a similar clip 26. The Itwo chin straps 25 and 27 are connected near their secured ends by a cross-strap 28, which is secured intermediate its length to a rib 1t) disposed centrally between the two ribs to which the chin straps 25 and 27 are respectively attached, the attachment being advantageously by means of an eyelet in such cross-strap through which the rib is passed.

The chin strap 27 is provided with a sliploop 27a at its free end, and, when the hat is in the collapsed and closed position of FIG. 4, the loop 27a may be conveniently passed over the hunched terminal ends of the several ribs 10 and pulled tight to retain the hat in such closed condition.

aoaoe The configuration of each rib is desirably obtusely angular intermediate its ferruled extremity 23 and its pivot point 13, the vertex being indicated 19h, FIG. 2, so as to provide a peak at the top and a graceful and gradual spread therefrom as shown in FIG. 1. Also, for the same reason, it is desirable that the upper legs 10-1, FIG. 2, of the angular ribs be somewhat shorter than the lower legs 10-2. For example, `when the lower leg is six inches, the upper leg from the angle to the pivot point is desirably five inches.

To make for rm and comfortable seating of the hat on the head when being worn, the two oppositely disposed ribs l() to which the chin straps are secured by the clips 26 are advantageously somewhat different in their angular configuration than the other ribs, that is to say, they have their lower legs somewhat longer than the lower legs of the other ribs and their upper legs shor-ter. Thus, in the above example, the lower legs of these two ribs are desirably seven and a quarter inches in length while the upper legs are three and three fourths. Also, 'the angle between the legs is somewhat more obtuse than is the angle between the legs of the other ribs. Y

The dimensions for both the riblegs and the rib angles will depend largely upon the style, but, in all instances, the above general relationship will apply, for it is the fact that the two ribs to `which the chin straps are anchored differ from ythe other ribs in the manner abovementioned that makes it possible `for all of the ribs to nd seating on the head of a wearer so that there is no tendency for the hat to rock on the head due to seating by less than the total number of ribs.

Whereas this invention is here illustrated and described with respect to a particular preferred embodiment thereof, it should be understood that various changes may be made without departing from the inventive concepts set forth herein and defined by the claims that here follow.

I claim:

1. An umbrella-style hat, comprising a hub disk; a circumferential series of ribs pivotally secured to said hub disk for extension radially thereof in the opening of the hat for wearing purposes, said ribs being pivoted to said hub disk adjacent to but short of corresponding ends thereof so as to leave relatively short end portions of said ribs projecting from one face of said hub disk, and said projecting end portions being canted toward the center of the hub disk to serve as lever arms; a stud secured to said hub disk centrally thereof and having an elongate shank which projects with but beyond said end portions of the ribs so as to have a free end above the latter; a ferrule slidably mounted on said shank above said end portions of the ribs; a fabric covering for said ribs interposed between said ferrule and said end portions of the ribs; and a spring exerting tension between said ferrulc and said free end of the shank for normally exerting pressure against the lever arm end portions of the ribs to force said ribs and said fabric cover into radially ex tended position, wherein the hat is open for wearing.

2. The umbrella-style hat of claim 1, wherein the ferrule comprises a circular base piece and an elongate dome piece secured to said base piece.

3. The umbrella-style hat of claim 1, wherein the hub disk has its circumferential margin notched; a pivot ring is provided on which the ribs are threaded for pivotal movement, said ribs being accommodated by the respective notches; and circumferential marginal portions of the hub disk between the notches are bent around said ring to hold it rmly in position.

4. The umbrella-style hat of claim 1, wherein the ribs are of obtusely angular configuration with the lower leg portions thereof from rib extremities to the respective angle vertices being longer than the upper leg portions thereof from the angle vertices to the respective pivot points.

5 Thel umbrella-style hat of claim 4, wherein a pair of chin straps are fastened, respectively, to a pair of op positely extending ribs adjacent the angle vertices thereof, said ribs having their lower legs longer than those of the other ribs and their angles more obtuse.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 588,241 Ray Aug4 17, 1897 675,148 Bohm May 28, 1901 787,237 Turner Apr. 11, 1905 1,442,753 Weinberg et al Ian. 16, 1923 1,659,738 Knapp Feb. 2l, 1928 2,140,647 Myers Dec. 20, 1938 2,677,132 Marks May 4, 1954 2,766,457 Wielandt Oct. 16, 1956 

